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Presentations and guided tours

Presentations

During the COVID-years, when our guests could not come to Naxos, I started to give online presentations, illustrated with many beautiful pictures, about the island of Naxos, in order to provide a kind of virtual holiday-substitute. This turned out to be a wonderful way for the guests to learn something about the island and to really dive into the subjects, so I am continuing to offer the possibility. You can participate in our informative and detailed presentations about the nature and culture of the island of Naxos either online before or after your holiday (or, of course, independently of a vacation), or we can arrange presentations during your stay with us. This can be a single presentation on a topic that you are particularly interested in or a series, for instance, on the history of the island or on sea life.

Most presentations last approximately 1 hour; some are shorter, while others might run a bit longer. For more detailed information please contact me via email.

Please be aware that English is not my native language, so it is a bit more difficult for me to give a presentation in English, but so far we managed well enough.

Subjects:

History

The history of the island of Naxos is long and interesting: In 20 presentations we embark on a journey through the different epochs from the early stone age up to modern times, illustrated by the finds of the archaeologists and by the many interesting monuments that you can visit on Naxos.

  • The Portára, the landmark of Naxos-Town

  • Stone age: obsidian splinters

  • stone age excavation site: the cave on Zas mountain

  • Early Bronze age: cycladic marble idols

  • early bronze age settlement in Pánormos

  • Mycenaean epoch: vases decorated with marine motives

  • mycenaean domed tomb near Komiakí

  • Geometric epoch: vases in the museum in Naxos-Town

  • geometric graveyard with tumulus graves

  • Archaic epoch: the Kouros in Apóllonas

  • archaic temple of Demeter near Sangrí

  • Hellenistic epoch: hellenistic artefacts in the museum

  • hellenistic Tower of Chimarrou

  • Roman epoch: mosaic in the museum

  • roman glass vases

  • Byzantine epoch: Panagía Drosianí near Moní

  • byzantine wallpaintings in the church Ágia Kyriakí

  • Venetian epoch: venetian tower in Agiá

  • venetian coat of arms

  • Ottoman epoch: monastery at Kalamítsia

  • Modern times: the pilgrimage church Panagía Argokiliótissa

  • 18th century church Ágios Artémios near Kinídaros

Traditional village life

Two presentations about aspects of the traditional village life: about the traditional water mills and about the cycladic bagpipe.

  • the traditional instruments Tsamboúna and Toumbáki

  • manufacturing a tsambouna

  • traditional water mill

Cultural landscape

In seven presentations we explore the naxian cultural landscape and the traditional agriculture: the origin of the mediterranean vegetation, the old cultivated plants, farm animals and their products, water and irrigation, traditional houses, architecture, walls, terraces, soil and much more.

  • typical mediterranean landscape

  • olive tree

  • wine making

  • grain

  • old threshing floor

  • the spring Garínou

  • Goats are the most important farm animals on Naxos.

  • terraced landscape near Potamiá

  • old shepherd house (mitátos)

  • old stone house

Vegetation

Here we present the different vegetation types of Naxos (wood, maquis vegetation and shrubland) and explore the life forms of the plants and their strategies and adaptations, from the trees to the annual plants.

  • There exists more woodland on Naxos than one would expect.

  • Maquis is also a widespread vegetation type.

  • Large areas of the island are overgrown with low shrub (phrygana).

  • evergreen trees: Kermes oak

  • deciduous trees: Alder

  • Chamaephytes: Satureja thymbra

  • Geophytes: Crocus tournefortii

  • Hemicryptophytes: Smyrnium olustratum

  • Annual plants: Trifolium purpureum

  • Aquatic plants: Ranunculus peltatus

The Mediterranean sea

In twelve fascinating presentations we explore the environmental conditions and the habitats of the coast and the shallow sea, from the sea grass meadows to the riffs of calcareous rhodophytes in the tidal zone, and meet all the different kinds of sea life, from the one-celled foramininfera to the fish.

  • the sea, a rich habitat

  • in the tidal zone

  • under water

  • Sea grass: Cymodocea nodosa

  • Chlorophytes: Caulerpa racemosa

  • Rhodophytes: Wrangelia penicillata

  • Cnidarians: Actinia equina

  • Echinoderms: Marthasterias glacialis

  • Crustaceans: Callinectes sapidus

  • Shellfish: Manupecten pesfelis

  • Sea snails: Hexaplex trunculus

  • Blennies: Aidablennius sphynx

Fauna

Here we explore the fauna of Naxos in fifteen amazing presentations about the birds, bats, reptiles, amphibia, spiders and insects of the island. With the help of many beautiful pictures we learn about the characteristics, peculiarities and way of life of the different species.

  • The fauna of Naxos: Collared pratincole on migration

  • Birds: Black-eared Wheatear

  • Bats: Greater horseshoe bat

  • Reptiles: Eryx jaculus

  • Amphibia: Balkan frog

  • Spiders: Thyene imperialis

  • Beetles: Purpuricenus desfontanii

  • Bugs: Spilostethus pandurus

  • Grasshoppers: Calliptamus barbarus

  • Praying mantisses: Iris oratoria

  • Dragonflies: Sympetrum meridionale

  • Neuroptera: Libelloides lacteus

  • Butterflies: Scarce Swallowtail

  • Flies: Exoprosopa jacchus

  • Wasps: European beewolf

  • Bees: Amegilla quadrifasciata

Flora

As largest island of the Cyclades and richest in water, Naxos offers a rich flora with more than 1000 plant species, many of which are rather rare and unusual. Here we undertake a beautiful stroll through the different plant families from the lichens to the umbelliferae.

  • the flora of Naxos: Caloplaca aurantium

  • Cistus monspeliensis

  • Colchicum cupanii

  • Glaucium flavum

  • Lomelosia brachiata

  • Blackstonia perfoliata

  • Ophrys scolopax ssp. heldreichii

  • Anthyllis vulneraria

  • Moraea sisyrhinchium

  • Crocus laevigatus

  • Cladonia convoluta

  • Trifolium globosum

  • Geranium rotundifolium

  • Dianthus tripunctatus

  • Pallensis spinosa

  • Convolvulus althaeoides

  • Orlaya daucoides

  • Bellardia trixago

Geology

Naxos is of special interest to the geologists as one can study on the island interesting processes of mountain building, metamorphosis and weathering. Here we attempt to unroll this difficult subject in six presentations about marble, schist and migmatite, about shear zones and folds, about emery and marble quarries.

  • rock-tower at the east coast of Naxos

  • emery with sapphire

  • tourmaline and garnet

  • calcite

  • mica minerals

  • sinter tubes

  • marble

  • marble coast

  • conglomerate on Palátia island (Naxos-Town)

  • migmatite

  • folded layers of marble and amphibolite

  • granodiorite with tafoni weathering

  • gravel at the beach on the Makares-islands

Weather and Climate

Three presentations on the climate and weather of Naxos: We examine the types of clouds, how clouds form, the weather development and special phenomenons like rainbows, thunderstorms and snow.

  • thundercloud

  • cirrus clouds

  • gust roller

  • rainbow

  • cloud cap on the mountains

  • snow

  • Stratocumulus undulatus

  • thunderstorm

Rivers

Naxos has many springs and even several small perennial rivers, rare on the Cyclades. In two presentations we discover the rivers of Naxos and meet the animals and plants of these special biotopes.

  • at the waterfall of Routsoúnas

  • river near Apóllonas

  • valley with riparian forest in autumn

  • the waterfall of Routsoúnas

  • Balkan frog

  • near Kinídaros

  • Banded Demoiselle

  • the freshwater crab Potamon potamios

  • near Skepóni

  • near the spring Garínou

Gods and nymphs

And lastly a quick introduction to some of the gods and godesses of Naxos: the nymphs, Dionysos and Demeter.

  • column of the Dionysus temple at Íria

  • sacrificial pits at the temple of Demeter

  • Kakó Spílaio, the cave of Dionysos

  • Dionysos, the god of wine, at the carnival festivities in Naxos-Town

  • traditional Koudounáti at the carnival in Apíranthos

  • followers of Dionysos with ivy wreaths

Guided tours

Depending on the season we also offer guided tours around the different subjects, for example as a short walk directly in our area, as hike in the mountains or as an excursion to some monument. Also I can help you identify plants or animals that you met on your own and that you took a photo of.

on a hiking tour

zur Diashow

taking pictures for the web site and the presentations

zur Diashow

on a guided tour

zur Diashow

bird watching

zur Diashow

Information on the island of Naxos

Apart from these forms of diving into the different subjects you can also contact me any time with your questions about the culture and nature of Naxos.

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